Simple but Important Physical Therapy for Elbow Injury Pain
Elbow injury is not as common as shoulder, knee but many times we have heard of tennis elbow, golfer elbow. This kind of injury does not happen to people who play golf or tennis. Anybody can get that kind of pain or other elbow pain.
If you are in pain and unable to use your arm, elbow without pain you should consult your physical therapist that can evaluate you and develop treatment plan to help you return to your previous level of function.
In most of the plan first goal is to reduce pain so initial therapy may include electrical stimulation, ultrasound, soft tissue mobilization but mainstay of your program will be therapeutic exercises.
Therapeutic exercises may include Range of elbow motion exercises, strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises.
Conditions that may require you to perform elbow range of motion exercises may include:
- Tennis elbow/ lateral epicondylitis
- Golfer’s elbow/medial epicondylitis
- Elbow fracture
- Shoulder pain or injury
- Olecrenon bursitis
- any contusion or injury to elbow
Initially while controlling pain therapist another important goal is to maintain or increase your Range of motion.
These are simple exercises like…
1. Bending elbow (elbow flexion)
2. Stretching elbow or straightening elbow (elbow extension)
3. Rotating forearm in (Pronation)
4. Rotating forearm out (Supination)
5. Turn it Over: Forearm Supination
Range of motion exercises can be performing 1-2 times a day 1 or 2 sets of 10 or as prescribed by your physical therapist. If any ROM exercises increases your pain you should consult your physical therapist.
Once patient has good ROM and mild pain next goal is to strengthen elbow. Physical therapist can use free weights, your own body weights or mechanical weight to increase your strength. Physical therapist may use digiflex, towel gripping exercises or there putty. At this point therapist may advised you to do some strengthening exercises at home
All above mentioned modalities and exercises will help you to achieve your prior functional level. So if you got hurt and have pain or stiffness in elbow consult visit Physical Therapy Fresh Meadows, NY; your physical therapist and ask how he/she can help you.